Gym Leader Norman/RSE
Overview Norman is the Gym Leader of Petalburg Gym. He uses Normal-types. In Ruby and Sapphire, he uses a Level 28 Slaking with Encore, Facade, Yawn and Faint Attack, a Level 30 Vigoroth with Slash, Faint Attack, Facade and Encore, and a Level 31 Slaking with Focus Punch, Slack Off, Facade and Faint Attack. Norman gives out 3100 Poké dollars, the Balance Badge and TM42 Facade upon defeat. In Emerald, he uses a level 27 Spinda with Psybeam, Encore, Teeter Dance and Facade, a Level 27 Vigoroth with Slash, Faint Attack, Facade and Encore, a Level 29 Linoone with Slash, Belly Drum, Headbutt and Facade, and a Level 31 Slaking with Counter, Yawn, Facade and Faint Attack. The Slaking holds a Sitrus Berry. The rewards are the same as in Ruby/Sapphire. Tips for beating Norman * Paralysis and poison are a bad idea: Stay away from trying to inflict paralysis or poison as Norman's entire team has Facade. 210 base power (counting STAB) Normal move hurts like hell. Burn is an exception as it halves Attack, thus the damage ends up normal. Sleep can be helpful, and freeze is too unreliable. It also means that you should be careful if you have to use something with, for example, Static or Effect Spore, or moves that have a chance of inflicting paralysis and poison. * Slaking is a beast: Norman's Slakings are his biggest threats. With 150 base HP, 160 base Attack, 100 base Defense and 100 base Speed, Slaking is not considered a pseudo-legendary because its base stat total is too high. The only thing saving your team from being mowed down is their ability - Truant, which only allows them to move every other turn (and might be another factor excluding it from the list of pseudo-legends, but a less impressive one. It's a fan term anyway). Having moves like Dig or Protect can help you avoid damage reliably though. Slakings have Yawn to put you to sleep if you decide to slug it out, so come with Awakenings. They also have Faint Attack, so Ghost-types are NOT safe. In Ruby and Sapphire, the first Slaking has Encore which will lock you into a move. The second Slaking has Focus Punch, thus make sure the attacking move you use has 100% accuracy, or use Protect on every turn when it moves and deal damage when it's loafing around. It also has Slack Off, so expect a long battle. In Emerald, Slaking has Counter, so be wary of using your Fighting types! * Don't bother with Sleep on the Vigoroth: Norman's Vigoroth trades a lot of stats away for a far more useful ability, Vital Spirit - with it, it can't be put to sleep. It carries Encore to lock you into a move. Slash and its high critical hit ratio may also threaten your team. * The weak ones have some tricks too: Emerald Only - Spinda and Linoone are the easier 2 of the team, but each has their own tricks. Spinda has Psybeam and Teeter Dance to annoy Fighting types, while Linoone has to be knocked down quickly before it gets to use its Belly Drum boost. It will also attempt flinchhax with Headbutt. Good Pokémon to Use * Gyarados - Intimidate, good defenses and Dragon Rage will all be useful in the battle. * Hariyama/Machoke - Great bulk, generally strong Fighting-types with the always-accurate Vital Throw. It may need some Potion support, but it'll definitely come out on top if you're wary of the Counter Slaking in Emerald. Spinda's Psybeam will also hurt. * Dustox/Pelipper - Why these specific two? Both learn Protect as they level up. This allow for a safe and easy defeat of Slaking as long as you stick to non-Physical moves, to take advantage of its weaker Special Defense. * Graveler/Golem - Good defenses allows it to weather the Normal moves and it has Magnitude to strike back with. * Lairon - Steel/Rock. Double resistance to Normal moves. The only thing that threatens it is Ruby and Sapphire's Focus Punch Slaking and Emerald's Counter - the former can be dealt with constant usage of a 100% accurate move. To get around Counter, simply abuse Slaking's Truant - use a non-physical move (Iron Defense, perhaps) when it moves to stall and then deal damage when it rests. * Breloom - Overall frailty and Effect Spore make it far riskier than Hariyama or Machoke, but can still use Bulk Up to boost its Attack and Defense. Mach Punch also ensures that you will always attack first and Leech Seed can be used in tandem with Bulk Up and Mach Punch to wear down his Slaking(s). * Combusken - Again, frailty makes this a gamble, but if you taught it Bulk Up then it will eventually be able to keep up with and defeat Slaking with Double Kick. Category:Hoenn Category:Gym Leaders Category:Boss Fights Category:Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald